National Caregivers Month: Resources for Families in San Diego

Caring for an ill, elderly, or disabled family member, while juggling life’s other responsibilities, can be very challenging. For a lot of caregivers, so much of their energy goes to other people, they don’t find ways to manage their own stress and mental health.

In honor of National Family Caregivers Month, here is a list of resources for San Diego caregivers to find the support and information they need.

St. Paul’s Senior Day Care

They provide structured activities like brain-fitness activities and unstructured free time in a safe environment supervised by highly-trained staff. St. Paul’s also offers door-to-door transportation if needed. This is a great option for seniors and their caregivers who are not ready to move to assisted living.

Interfaith Community Services

The nonprofit Interfaith Community Services has a mission to empower people to stabilize and improve their lives. Their programs for seniors include daily phone check-ins, emergency financial assistance, minor home repairs and modifications, and medical information. Their services—especially the daily check-ins—can take some stress off busy caregivers.

ElderHelp

This nonprofit provides information and services to help seniors remain independent. They pair clients with volunteers who can provide assistance with tasks like home safety inspections, grocery shopping, and organizing paperwork. They also have a transportation program and extensive education for caregivers.

San Diego County Sheriff’s Take Me Home Program

Register your loved one in the Take Me Home program, a photo-based information system accessible by all San Diego law enforcement. The database provides detailed physical descriptions, special needs, and caregiver contact numbers for members of the community who have disabilities like autism, dementia, Alzheimer’s, Down Syndrome, or deafness. This provides tremendous peace of mind to caregivers who fear their loved one may wander off and not be able to communicate information on how to get home.

AARP

The Family Caregiving section of the AARP website contains an extensive library of interactive tools, fact sheets, articles, webinars, and stories from other caregivers offering tips, advice, and other resources. This is a great place for new caregivers to start their education.

Alzheimer’s Association San Diego/Imperial

The Alzheimer’s Association has a helpful website full of resources for people caring for or living with someone with Alzheimer’s or other dementias. They have articles on everything from recognizing the signs, how to resolve conflicts with other family members, and legal and financial planning.

Aging & Independent Services

AIS provides a diverse variety of services for the elderly, people with disabilities, and family caregivers. They offer family caregiver support, in-home supportive services, nutrition and healthy living programs, and respite care for military and veteran caregivers. Trained social workers answer the phones at the AIS call center to offer guidance and advice on available programs.

Southern Caregiver Resource Center

The mission of the Southern Caregiver Resource Center is to help families deal with the challenges of caring for adults with chronic and disabling conditions. They offer live-stream classes, respite care, support groups, and short-term counseling.

Caregiver Action Network

They offer a free Caregiver Help Desk, where experts are available to assist in finding the right information for your unique challenges. Their website also provides instructional videos and curated tips for both new and experienced caregivers.

Caregiver Coalition of San Diego

The coalition offers free caregiver conferences, educational speakers, and webinars. Their resource section has handbooks and guides on a range of topics like elder law, disaster preparedness planning, and health care directives.

VA San Diego Healthcare System

Licensed social workers offer a caregiver support program that connects military caregivers with VA resources. The services include mental health care, adult day health care, home-based primary care, palliative/hospice program, and respite care.

Meals on Wheels San Diego County

Meals on Wheels provides meals six days a week for seniors over 60 and their caregivers.Their volunteers do safety checks on delivery recipients, and will note anything of concern, a huge help to caregivers who can’t be home 24/7.

National Institute on Aging

The National Institute on Aging offers resources to help people be an effective caregiver while also taking care of themselves. They have a wealth of information on fitness, nutrition, and clinical trials, plus helpful information on topics like advance care planning, long-term care, and long-distance caregiving.

AdaRide

The Adaride program provides taxi and van rides to people with disabilities, which is a helpful service for caregivers who don’t have the right vehicle to transport their loved one with disabilities to their appointments.

Contact one or more of these resources for help with whatever caregiving challenges you face. With the variety of resources like these available to San Diego caregivers, you don’t have to go through it alone!

Free Online Tool to Compare Medicare Advantage Plans

Scripps Affiliated Medical Groups partners with Caress Insurance Agency to help seniors find the best rates on Medicare Advantage plans. We built an online tool that makes it easy for caregivers to compare plans and pricing for their loved one. Just enter the medications needed and get a custom quote in minutes to compare all available plans. Try our our free online tool today.